The applet helps you learn and practice with the four vote counting methods: Plurality, Borda, Plurality with Elimination, and Pairwise Comparison

Make your choices. But before you do, you have to create a Preference Schedule under the Create Preference Schedule tab. This is where you start.

Create Preference Schedule

By default the voting system has 3 choices and 2 ballots. This can be changed. The number of ballots is controlled by a spin in the lower right corner of the applet. The number of choices (or candidates) and their names can be typed in the text control at the bottom. The choices may be separated by spaces or with commas. Press the Read Choices button to let the table know of your new specifications.

The table consists of a header and a body. The cells in the header define the number of votes for the ballot below. Select a header cell and type in the number of votes. The values of the cells in the table body are defined with a dropdown combobox - no typing is involved. The simplest way to assign values to the table cells is to assign a candidate to one cell per every column (this would take a single click; do not wait for the dropdown to open or close) and then move to the next candidate.

Before you are able to switch other tabs, you'll have to specify the preference table in its entirety.

Plurality

All you can do under the Plurality tab is to select the candidates in order. After the first selection an additional window will open that will show the standing of the candidates relevant to the Plurality Method. Just see that the shown numbers meet your expectations.

Borda

Here, too, all you have to do is selecting the candidates. The window now displays the Borda scores for every candidate and the manner in which these are computed.

Plurality with Elimination

When you press Eliminate weakest candidate button, this will be grayed and the next weakest candidate highlighted. You'll have to press the button several times to find the winner according to the Plurality with Elimination method. The winner is declared when only 2 candidates remain. The caption of the button is switched to Restore. Pressing the button now will allow you to retrace the elimination rounds of the method.

Pairwise Comparisons

Here you'll have to compare all possible pairs of two candidates (irrelevant of the order of the candidates in a pair.) There are two dropdown comboboxes where you pick the two candidates. First select the pair of candidates, then press the Compare button.